Brody R Thompson, Author at Hard Drive

Season: A Letter to the Future Trophy Guide: All Trophies

Posted on January 25, 2023 by Billy Givens

If you’re looking for a laid-back game to kickstart 2023, Season: A Letter to the Future may be right up your alley, and our trophy guide can help you get that 100%. This pensive adventure title casts you as Estelle, a young girl who sets off on her bicycle to travel the world and document everything around her before an unknown event – referred to as the end of the season – potentially ends all existence. With a gorgeous art style and interactive landscapes, fans of quiet and reflective experiences should find a lot to love about Estelle and her quest to leave a record behind.

In addition to its compelling narrative, Season is a relatively straightforward game when it comes to its trophy list. There are 16 trophies to earn in the game, with some being automatic story unlocks and others requiring a little bit of extra effort by completing certain tasks while exploring the world. Either way, it shouldn’t take the average player too terribly long to knock out everything that is asked of them in Estelle’s journey.

While trophy hunters should find Season to be a breezy list to 100%, it’s worth noting that the game doesn’t come bearing a Platinum, unfortunately. As much of a bummer as that might be, many players are sure to find the stunning visuals and intriguing story worth their investment anyways.

Season: A Letter to the Future Trophy Guide (All Trophies)

The End: Witness the end of a season.
Deep Listener: Find a botanical voice.
Grey Hands Praxix 101: Begin your political education.
Love Uncoverer: Uncover some kind of secret romance.
Graffiti Artist: Leave a mark on Tieng Valley.
Journal Beautifier: Completely customize a page in your journal.
Dream Listener: Listen to your friend’s weird but meaningful dream.
Music for Cows: Play a herd of cows their favorite genre of music.
Tour de Tieng: Follow a little kid on a bike tour of the valley.
Home Leaver: A journey of a thousand seasons begins with a single step.
Outside World Seer: See the outside world before it’s gone.
Stranger Encounterer: Encounter a stranger and have a pleasant interaction.
Emotional Baggage Handler: Help Sophon pack the last of her things.
Artist Assistant: Capture Tieng Valley in a moment.
Shriner Arriver: Arrive at the Shrine.
Goodbye Tieng Valley: Exit the Valley before the flood enters it.

Looking to hunt more trophies? Check out our trophy list for Dead Space, another January release.

Fire Emblem Engage Recruitment Guide: All Optional Recruits

Posted on January 25, 2023 by Noah Hunter

Fire Emblem Engage has loads of character you’ll unlock simply by progressing the story, but did you know there are even more characters that are optional recruits? These units can be tricky to find if you’re not familiar on how to obtain them, so read on to find out! There are a total of five characters that are missable and not unlocked through the main story. We’ve detailed each of the optional units and where you can find them, organized in alphabetical order.

Fire Emblem Engage Optional Recruits Guide: Anna

Anna is the first character in Fire Emblem Engage that you will need to recruit if you want her. She does not unlock during the main story, so you’ll need to head over to the Paralogue titled Mysterious Merchant. There will be a room with three different chests at the bottom of the map. Here, you’ll want to open the middle chest to have her pop out of it. Then, simply talk to her with Alear, and she’ll join you as a playable character. Anna is a character you can get early on, and she is quite good, so keep that in mind when considering taking on this optional mission.

How to Recruit Jade

How to recruit Jade, one of the optional Fire Emblem Engage recruits.

Jade appears in the battle that takes place during Chapter 9. Only Diamant can speak to her and recruit her, as she is looking for him amidst the battle. To earn this character and have them join your ranks, simply approach the square next to her and talk to her with Diamont.

Jean – Fire Emblem Engage Optional Recruits

A recruitment guide to one of the Fire Emblem Engage optional recruits, Jean.

Jean can be located by simply playing the Paralogue titled Budding Talent. In order to recruit him to your party, you must speak to him using the Divine Dragon in battle. You’ll see him on the map, but if you fail to talk to him before completing the mission, you will not be able to add him to your team. Jean is a character with a ton of potential no matter what class you decide to put him in, even though he starts off quite weak.

How to Recruit Saphir

Saphir is found in Chapter 19. Like the rest of the units on this list, to have her join your party, simply go up next to her and talk to her as Alear. She is a very viable unit that can deal massive amounts of damage. She has an especially nice build when used in the Warrior class.

Seadall Recruitment Guide: Fire Emblem Engage

Saphir is unlockable through the game’s main story in Chapter 15. He is missable, however, so you’ll need to make sure you talk to him during this chapter. Once you vanquish all of the enemies in his surroundings, you’ll need to head over to him and speak to him using Alear. Once doing so, he will join your ranks as a playable character. Seadall’s class is Dancer, an incredibly versatile and useful class in Fire Emblem games.

How to Recruit Lindon in Fire Emblem Engage

How to recruit Lindon, a Fire Emblem Engage optional recruit.

Lindon is another optional character you will encounter throughout your playthrough of Fire Emblem Engage. To find him, you’ll need to play through Chapter 18. During this battle, he will appear on the battlefield. Like the rest of these characters, you need to talk to him with Alear during the battle. Since he is from Elusia, however, you are also able to talk to him with either Ivy or Hortensia. Make sure to speak with him before the battle ends or he is killed, as you won’t get another chance to recruit Lindon!

Those are all of the optional recruits in Fire Emblem Engage! Three Houses was quite straightforward with recruitment, so these optional units are a bit of a change of pace. To make the most of these new units, check out our weapon upgrades guide for Fire Emblem Engage.

EXPLAINED: The Differences Between Ray Tracing and a Big Old Rock on the Ground

Posted on January 24, 2023 by Mark Roebuck

As gaming hardware makes more advances over the years, it can be easy to feel confused and left in the dust. It seems like not that long ago the jump to high definition TV’s and monitors was the big transition, but it’s already been 15 years! These days it can be intimidating to try and keep up with all of today’s current advancements, as the simplicity of better resolution has given way to discussions about teraflops and photon mapping and the like. So we thought we’d give you this primer on how to tell the difference between ray tracing, a revolutionary new lighting technology that has been a focal point of this gaming generation, and a big dumb rock sitting on the ground. You might be surprised!

Ray tracing is a digital rendering method that largely involves reflections of light depicted visually and realistically. A lot of people say it’s overrated, but those that can tell the difference say it’s an absolutely crucial component of today’s AAA games. No one was demanding ray tracing a decade ago, but it’s here, and if you’re not using it, you’re simply behind the curve.

Now, if you find a rock on the ground, there’s really no telling how long it might have been there. Is it pretty embedded into the soil? If so, it could very well predate ray tracing of any form then. Does that make an old rock on the ground superior to today’s ray tracing technology? It’s not for me to say.

Another key distinction between ray tracing and big old rocks is that ray tracing was actually being used in other forms of media before video games. Early examples of ray tracing are found in digital images and visual effects in movies and television. It wasn’t until technology advanced and rendering times were decreased that programmers were able to implement the tool into today’s video games.

Rocks, meanwhile, have been utilized for millions of years as weapons, tools, and building materials. A lot of us also have them in our driveways. While all very impactful uses, none of these things have had much of an impact on modern gaming, if we’re being honest.

Well, there you have it. We discovered a handful of other differences, but a lot of them are pretty technical and jargon-y, so we opted to include what we felt were the most digestible and significant distinctions . If you’ve been confusing ray tracing with big old rocks on the ground, we hope this guide was helpful to you. Feel free to bookmark it, as we’ll be updating this space as we make new breakthroughs in our research.

George Santos Claims He Unlocked Ash in Super Smash Bros 64

Posted on January 24, 2023 by Dan Bookbinder

WASHINGTON — Republican Congressman George Santos once again drew criticism for his dubious claim that he unlocked Ash Ketchum in Super Smash Bros.

“I’ve always been an elite gamer,” Santos said, unprompted, at an event. “I got a Nintendo 64 before everyone else because my Tio worked at Nintendo and sent me a prototype from Japan. When I was 9, I unlocked Ash in Smash Mario Bros by beating Classic mode with a pacifist run in under 10 minutes. My picture was in Nintendo Power and everything.”

Once these comments went live, multiple sources came forward to debunk all of Santos’ suspicious claims.

“Lying about his mom dying on 9/11 is one thing, and stealing from a money meant for a veteran’s sick dog is really messed up, but fabricating an achievement is completely unconscionable,” said Kinsey Hancock, Co-Founder of the Video Game Preservation Society. “I’ve been through the source code and tested it extensively with a GameShark, there’s no evidence Ash was a playable character in Smash 64, nor is there any issue of Nintendo Power with Santos in it. Plus, if he was unlockable, he would have been called ‘Red.’”

Classmates who knew Santos as a youth provided eyewitness testimony that contradicts his version of events.

“First of all, Smash Bros didn’t come out until we were 11. I know because my mom forced me to invite George to my birthday party,” said former neighbor Javier Alvarez. “When we finally gave him a turn to play, he held the controller upside down like a W and kept walking right off the ledge. He’d never even seen a 64 before. When we teased him for how much he sucked, he said he was better at the PlayStation version.”

When reached for comment about the evidence against his claims, Santos doubled down, stating he also shot the dog in Duck Hunt, unlocked the Narpas Sword in Metroid, and was enlisted by aliens after beating Starfighter.

As of press time, prominent Republicans have yet to comment on Santos’ Smash Bros. claims, but close sources claim that some have inquired about how he was reportedly able to shock Ness with Pikachu’s neutral-B attack to see him naked.

Persona 3 Portable Request 28 Guide: Get Elizabeth’s Drink

Posted on January 24, 2023 by Luca Fisher

So, those Velvet Room rascals in Persona 3 Portable have sent you on another of their arcane errands, and in Request 28, you need to find a drink that shares Elizabeth’s name. It’s a bit of a thinker, but this guide should demystify the process and net you a cool sword.

Where to Get A Drink That Shares Elizabeth’s Name

Tucked away in the far west corner of Port Island Station is a sketchy bar called Que Sera Sera. Its regulars include a few unsavory types, and a certain Gekkoukan High truant. You’ll need to go into the bar to complete this request, but you can only get into the place if your charm is maxed out, and only get the drink itself when your courage is maxed out.

How to Complete Request 28 in Persona 3 Portable

Don’t be in any hurry to finish up this request. Getting your Courage and Charm stats maxed out will take quite a lot of time. It might take a little while, but the most potent and recurrent ways to increase your Charm and Courage each week are as follows:

Activity	Days Available	Stat Boost
Working part-time at Chagall Coffee Shop	M/W/F	Charm + Courage
Playing Print Club at Game Parade	M/Th	Charm
Playing Horror House at Game Parade	Tu/F	Courage
Watch a movie at Screen Shot	Any	Odd-numbered months boost Charm; even-numbered months boost Courage
Eating at Wild Duck Burger	Any	Courage
Eating at Hagakure Ramen	Any	Charm

Once you’ve maxed out that Charm, mosey on over to Que Sera Sera like you own the place. Interact with the door, and you will acquire a Queen Elizabeth cocktail. Bring that back to the Velvet Room, and cash in!

Call of Duty Warzone 2 & MW2 SMG Longshot Distance Guide

Posted on January 24, 2023 by Obinna Tony-Francis Ochem

In Call of Duty MW2, getting a longshot will be necessary to unlock most weapon camos, including the SMG class of weapons. In MW2, a longshot is a kill when a player uses a weapon at a certain distance. This distance changes depending on the weapon class.

When a player does this, they are stretching the weapons to the limit of effective range, making it very dependent on the player’s skill and how well they have been able to master their game. Players will need to get longshots to unlock longshot mastery camos for each weapon. When a kill qualifies as a longshot, then a label that highlights and reads ‘longshot’ will appear immediately after the kill, along with the distance.

What is the MW2 SMG Longshot Distance?

There are different distances available for a kill to occur in the Longshot distances for every weapon class. For our focused class, SMGs, the longshot range is 30 meters.

How Do You Get SMG Longshots?

In general, the best way for players to get a longshot is to post up, then mount on a corner or head glitch. Employ a good long-range scope and then try to aim down areas where you believe that enemies will appear. There are specific maps that are ideal for a player when picking up longshot kills, like Shoot House & Shipment.

For SMGs, the best chance to get longshots is when your SMG is built with attachments that have accuracy and damage at long distances in mind. It’s important equip a barrel where there is always an increase in bullet velocity and effective damage range. Also, a grip to improve recoil control as well as a 2X sight. It will enable you to see and hit your long distance targets much easier.

The best way to get longshots in MW2 will be in hardcore mode. In this mode, player health is lowered a great amount and you’ll have to hit much less long range shots to kill. This allows SMGs the highest chance against weapons that have a higher effective damage range.

Those are the best things to know about hitting longshots with an SMG! If you’re looking to get longshots with other weapons, check out our general MW2 & Warzone 2 longshots guide!

Persona 3 Portable Request 62 Guide: Where to Find Oden Juice

Posted on January 24, 2023 by Luca Fisher

If you’re wondering where you can find some Oden Juice and clear Request 62 in Persona 3 Portable, you’ve come to the right place. You get some instruction to find “The drink-loving girl near the persimmon tree,” but other than that, you’re on your own. Without proper preparation, you may miss your chance to get the Oden Juice entirely! Here’s everything you need to know about how to get Oden Juice in Persona 3 Portable.

Persona 3 Portable: Where to Get Oden Juice & Finish Request 62

There’s only one person you can count on for some Oden Juice: a girl who will be standing next to the persimmon tree in the 1F Corridor at Gekkoukan High. When asked, however, she will tell you that she needs “cooler drinks” in exchange for that sweet nectar of the gods. Might as well call it Odin Juice, eh?

Anyway, if you want to bag the goods and make a Velvet Room attendant very happy, you’ll need to buy one of every drink from the vending machines on the school trip to Kyoto: a Durian Soda, Jumbo Juice, and V6. The trip lasts from 11/17 to 11/20, where the gang will stay in a lavish hotel. You can find a vending machine both on the second and third floors of the hotel — either one is fine, as they both contain the same beverages. As they say, a soda from the student is worth three from the machine! Or something like that…

Once you get these drinks, simply return to your de facto drink dealer in the 1F Corridor to make the exchange. After this, simply return to Elizabeth and claim your reward! The Gale Magatamas you will get as a reward work great to exploit enemies’ wind weakness in a pinch.

The durian soda in Persona 3 is indeed a real beverage, often described as a mixture of ginger and caramel with a slightly bitter, onion-like aftertaste. Others might describe it as the taste of a sink drain, or as Anthony Bourdain once put it, like “French-kissing your dead grandmother”. To each their own!

Anonymous Aardvark Won’t Stop Fucking Highlighting Things in Google Doc

Posted on January 23, 2023 by Seth Finkelstein

TEMPE, Ariz. — Employees at Creative Brains Marketing reportedly went absolutely insane this morning when a logged-out user assigned the name “Anonymous Aardvark” kept fucking highlighting every single line in a shared Google Doc.

“I don’t know who the fuck that Aardvark is but they need to cut this shit out yesterday,” said copywriter Jason Turpin as they watched the anonymous user’s cursor move wildly around the word document. “This deck needs to be finished by the end of the day and I can’t focus with all this shit changing color. This isn’t cute anymore.”

Many employees agreed with Turpin’s assessment of the situation, and were ready to turn on their fellow workers at a moment’s notice to bring an end to this bullshit.

“It’s absolutely Gavin,” said Head of Graphic Design Talia Davis, scoping out her coworkers’ screens to find the culprit on a stroll around the office. “He’s always asking questions during the all-hands meetings when we could end early. Brenda’s not off the hook either. I’m going to fucking scream if I get back to my computer and that cursor is still goddamn highlighting.”

When reached for comment, Head of Partner Programs George Lee said that he was excited the team at Creative Brands were using the Google Workplace Suite to share ideas, increase productivity, and discover the exact breaking point of a human being’s mental stability.

“We believe in the power of teams. That’s why we built the Google Workplace Suite to help people work better together, and as a social experiment to collect data on how humans react under high-stress scenarios,” said Lee. “We’ve just about gotten all the information we need, and we’re looking forward to beginning Phase 2 soon.”

At press time, the employees at Creative Brains had broken into several competing tribes to track down and kill the Anonymous Aardvark once and for all.

Mr. Beast Surprises Homeless Man With Free Hunting Trip on His Private Island

Posted on January 23, 2023 by Camden Brazile

GREENVILLE, N.C. — Massively popular YouTuber and entertainer Jimmy Donaldson, better known by his online moniker Mr. Beast, recently engaged in viral philanthropy by surprising an unexpecting homeless man with a free hunting trip on the wealthy YouTuber’s private island.

“I can’t believe my luck,” said local homeless man Eric Cromwell. “This ‘Mr. Beast’ character is a saint, offering to fly me on a private plane to his island free of charge, and he made sure to make us leave before a bad winter storm rolled in or before I could tell anyone where I was going. I think he has even more generous surprises, because whenever I ask him what exactly we’re hunting he has an amused grin and says ‘you’ll see…in due time.’ Also, he’s a very good sport. When I said I’ve never hunted before, he assured me he’d give me a thirty-minute head start before he begins.”

Donaldson said that his random act of kindness was born out of the monotony of wealth.

“Yes, being a billionaire can become so…droll. So I must lock horns with danger every now and again,” Mr. Beast said, polishing an antique musket. “The jungle, she is dangerous, but her prey fails to challenge me anymore. I do hope this new hunting trip will be more…difficult. I do believe Mr. Cromwell will do quite nicely, and I do hope he is able to last longer than ten minutes so that the video will do better in the YouTube algorithm. What is an island if not one big circle that, if a man were to step out of it, would lead to grave dangers?”

At press time, sources reported that Mr. Beast had already announced his next charitable venture, in which he will feed a pack of hungry dogs 165 pounds of meat and tattered clothes.

Dead Space Remake Trophy Guide: All Achievements & Trophies

Posted on January 23, 2023 by Billy Givens

If you’re looking to relive one of the most beloved survival horror games of all time, you’ll be delighted to finally get your hands on the Dead Space remake from Motive Studio. There’s plenty of stuff to do in this spine-chilling jaunt through a creature-infested mining rig, but if you’re hoping to fully complete everything, you’ll likely be looking to cross off every all of the Dead Space remake trophies or achievements, depending on your platform. Beware, though, that doing so won’t be an easy task.

The Dead Space remake’s trophy/achievement list is very similar to that of the 2008 original. Some familiar challenges return – such as requiring you to beat the game using only the Plasma Cutter and collecting 150 logs across the rig – alongside a new addition of an alternate ending you’ll need to unlock to complete the list. There’s a few other missable things to find and do along the way, too, so keep that in mind.

Completing the entirety of the Dead Space remake’s trophy/achievement list will require a minimum of two playthroughs – one to complete the aforementioned Plasma Cutter-only run, and another to overcome the Impossible difficulty mode. With a New Game Plus challenge tacked on, you can assumedly make that second run a bit more manageable by carrying over some of your upgrades, so it’s probably best to focus on Impossible mode during that playthrough.

All Dead Space Remake Trophies & Achievements

Concordance Officer (PS5 only): Collect all Trophies.
Welcome Aboard: Complete Chapter 1 on any difficulty setting.
Lab Rat: Complete Chapter 2 on any difficulty setting.
All Systems Go: Complete Chapter 3 on any difficulty setting.
Cannon Fodder: Complete Chapter 4 on any difficulty setting.
True Believer: Complete Chapter 5 on any difficulty setting.
Greenhouse Effect: Complete Chapter 6 on any difficulty setting.
S.O.S.: Complete Chapter 7 on any difficulty setting.
Strange Transmissions: Complete Chapter 8 on any difficulty setting.
Wreckage: Complete Chapter 9 on any difficulty setting.
Keeper of the Faith Complete Chapter 10 on any difficulty setting.
Betrayed: Complete Chapter 11 on any difficulty setting.
Exodus: Complete Chapter 12 on any difficulty setting.
Final Regeneration: Discover the Hunter’s origins.
Whole Again: Pursue Nicole’s investigation.
Set A Benchmark: Complete the game on Medium difficulty or above.
Untouchable: Complete the game in Impossible Mode.
Trusted Contractor: Complete New Game Plus on any difficulty mode.
Full Arsenal: Own every weapon in the game.
Built To Order: Install every weapon upgrade.
Autofire: Kill 30 enemies with the Pulse Rifle.
Live with the Hot Ones: Kill 30 enemies with the Flamethrower.
A Cut Above: Kill 30 enemies with the Ripper.
Pusher: Kill 30 enemies with the Force Gun.
Eviscerator: Kill 30 enemies with the Line Gun.
Full Contact: Kill 30 enemies with the Contact Beam.
One Gun: Beat the game using only the Plasma Cutter.
Pack Rat: Place 25 items in Storage.
Story Teller: Collect 75 Logs.
Legend Teller: Collect 150 Logs.
Merchant: Collect all Schematics.
Marksman: Dismember 50 Limbs.
Surgeon: Dismember 500 Limbs.
Wishbone: Rip off a dangling limb using Kinesis.
Raise The Stakes: Pin an enemy.
Freeze: Use Stasis on 50 enemies.
Backbreaker: Kill 10 enemies with a stomp attack.
Maxed Out: Fully upgrade all weapons and equipment.
Front Toward Enemy: Survive the Shooting Gallery.
Z-Baller: Complete Level 6 in Zero-G Basketball.
There’s Always Peng!: Find the Peng Treasure.
Full Clearance: Create the Master Security Override.
Brute Force: Kill a Brute.
Exterminator: Kill the Leviathan.
Get Off My Ship!: Kill the Leviathan Remnant.
Mindless Prey: Kill the Hive Mind.
Marked: Pick up a Marker fragment for the first time.
Reunion: See the alternative ending on any difficulty mode.